


The Trap We've Set

by ThereIsNoTragedyInThat



Series: 30 Day OTP Challenge- Cherik Edition [5]
Category: X-Men (Movieverse)
Genre: 30 Day OTP Challenge, Boys In Love, Chess, Declarations Of Love, Don't copy to another site, Drabble, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, X-Men: First Class (2011)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-25
Updated: 2019-07-25
Packaged: 2020-07-19 16:35:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19977163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThereIsNoTragedyInThat/pseuds/ThereIsNoTragedyInThat
Summary: Few words are exchanged but an admission is made.Day 5: Late Night Talks





	The Trap We've Set

**Author's Note:**

> As always, link to the prompt list can be found in the first story :)
> 
> Day 5: Late Night Talks

It was quiet this evening, but for the gentle crack of the fireplace, and softest of taps with each maneuvered chess piece. Charles found himself oddly content in this space, sitting across from Erik, in the very chair his father used to occupy.

He did mean his father. Not his stepfather.

The game, tonight, was taking longer then usual. The minutes ticked by and they were rapidly approaching the second hour when a smirk quirked the corner of Erik’s lips. Charles forced himself to take a breath and not peak, this was after all, his own form of training.

Except, surprisingly enough, Charles found himself struggling less with his telepathy and more with Erik. The man was beautiful tonight, not that he wasn’t always, but there was something about the quiet, knowing confidence in his posture, the simplicity of him, that was charming.

Emerald eyes glanced up at him. The smirk was no longer about the strategy and for a moment Charles wasn’t entirely sure he hadn’t just projected the thought. No, turned out he hadn’t. Erik moved his knight. The trap was clever, and Charles should have spotted it two moves ago, but with the simple slide of his bishop he managed to trick Erik into sabotaging it.

Erik narrowed his eyes and Charles grinned.

Charles would have him in six more moves. It didn’t matter. That was one of the many fascinating things about Erik, he’d learned these past weeks. Most, when the game was so obviously won, simply accepted and began again. Not Erik. No, they made each move, as inevitable as it was, until the end.

Some might call it stubbornness, others arrogance. Charles knew better. This was respecting your opponent; this was honor despite the certainty of defeat.

Like he had said. Beautiful.

“What are you thinking about?”

Erik’s inquiry came in murmured words, eyes still on the board in front them. Charles, to keep from answering right away, sipped at his amber drink and waited until Erik was looking at him again. He did love his eyes.

“You.”

Erik shook his head, forever exasperated with Charles’s honesty. Still, he did nothing to hide the blush on his cheeks and the warmth that caused in his heart was more then worth the embarrassment. Charles had to remind himself sometimes, that this was all new to Erik and truthfully, this was unique for him as well.

Erik was…well he was an enigma and frustrating and callous and so damned hard-headed sometimes that it drove Charles crazy.

But.

He was also intelligent and passionate and strong and so filled with unrelenting, dizzying purpose that it was impossible not to love him.

It was entirely possible Charles was in over his head but if this was what drowning felt like, he’d endure willingly, through all the arguments and butting heads, if it meant he could just listen to him speak or smile at him again.

“I love you.”

Erik looked up sharply at his words. He was shocked, rightfully so, at hearing the words that had gone otherwise unsaid. Charles didn’t mind the way panic flashed across the sudden chaos of his mind or the fear accompanied by the haunting image of his mother crumpling to the ground.

He said it because he meant it. He said it because Erik couldn’t. It was ok.

“Charles-”

His voice was wreaked, and Charles didn’t want that. Leaning forward, he gently knocked down Erik’s king and offered a small smile.

_Its ok, I know._

Relief bloomed in his eyes and just like that Erik was standing and coming closer. Palms cupped his cheeks and lips, firm but gentle, pressed against his own. Charles’s breath caught, as it always did and thought; yes, I’d happily drown here.


End file.
